Woodland police arrested two people from Vancouver who are suspected of stealing 349 car batteries from the Woodland Wal-Mart over an 11-month period.
On Saturday, multiple car battery cores were stolen from a locked storage area at the store, 1486 Dike Access Road. Similar thefts have taken place since May, resulting in $4,188 worth of lost merchandise. The thieves took the batteries to a recycling center where they could get about $12 for each core, according to the Woodland Police Department.
Investigators identified Summer N. Smith and Michael R. Scott as suspects in the reoccurring crimes and asked Vancouver police to check their home. On Sunday, Vancouver police went to the residence and detained both suspects. A Woodland police officer then took them into custody and transported them to the Cowlitz County Jail.
Smith was booked into the jail on suspicion of 55 charges, according to the jail roster. Those charges include second-degree burglary and multiple counts of third-degree theft, third-degree malicious mischief and trespassing. Scott was accused of 39 similar charges. They’re each being held on $15,000 bail each.
Any witnesses to these crimes, or recycling center employees with information about the case, are asked to contact the Woodland police station at 360-225-6965 or the agency’s 24-hour dispatch center at 360-225-8981.
